5 Common Myths About Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders, like many other aspects of mental health, are frequently misunderstood and misunderstood.
It's difficult to understand precisely what's happening inside a loved one's mind as they struggle to find peace with their anxious feelings unless they've had an anxiety disorder.
"There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about what it means to have an anxiety disorder."
Understanding some common myths about anxiety disorders can help you distinguish between fact and fiction.
Myth 1: Anxiety is not a real illness because it's just an emotion.
Yes, everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. Feeling anxious before certain events, such as a first date or speaking in front of a crowd, is natural.
"However, anxiety is a serious illness that requires immediate attention."
When anxiety extends far beyond the boundaries of temporary discomfort, it is more than just a fleeting feeling of ordinary, everyday anxiety.
When people experience persistent and health-altering anxiety, they have an actual anxiety disorder.
This persistent anxiety creates serious, life-altering challenges that make it difficult for the person to participate in their regular, everyday routines.
Myth 2: Anxiety disorders will go away on their own.
People suffering from anxiety disorders may notice that their symptoms fluctuate depending on what's going on in their lives.
Read about "Understanding General Anxiety Disorder".
For example, someone suffering from an anxiety disorder may experience a period in which their signs are minor and less noticeable than usual.
“However, these fluctuations do not imply that the person is entirely "cured" or that the anxiety is gone forever.”
While anxiety disorders can improve over time, it's important to remember that anxiety can flare up and cause problems for people at any time.
It's important to remember that triggers, significant life changes, and other factors can cause anxiety to return. Similarly, anxiety can fade as other life changes facilitate a decrease in anxious feelings.
Myth 3: If you have anxiety, you should just avoid whatever causes your anxiety to feel triggered or heightened.
Life would be a lot easier if you could avoid any anxiety-inducing triggers altogether. Making an effort to entirely prevent your motivations (or any other potentially anxiety-inducing situation) is futile.
"The truth is that anxiety is unavoidable. People face various anxiety-inducing situations daily; feeling some stress and anxiety is a normal human experience."
Similarly, if a person places themselves in a situation where they never have to worry about experiencing something potentially stressful, they isolate themselves from living an inspiring and fulfilling life.
For example, a person who is anxious in crowds may vow never to be in a situation where they are surrounded by people again.
"If they followed through on this thought process, they'd avoid many fun things like concerts, shopping malls, movie theaters, theme parks, and so on."
This type of self-imposed ban on potentially crowded spaces may save them some anxiety, but it comes at the expense of many great experiences and chances to live their life to the fullest.
Read about "Understanding General Anxiety Disorder".
Myth 4: Anxiety disorders are strange because they aren't prevalent.
This is one of the most easily debunked myths about having an anxiety disorder! According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, anxiety disorders are the most commonly diagnosed type of mental health illness in the United States of America.
"Nearly 40 million American adults live with a diagnosed anxiety disorder. That equates to roughly 20% of the adult population in America."
This figure only includes people with a formal diagnosis; there are likely many more people with anxiety disorders who still need to be diagnosed or may never be officially diagnosed.
These figures are mind-boggling. If you ever feel isolated or strange because you have an anxiety disorder, remember that many people understand what you're going through because they, too, are going through the same thing.
While you may feel strange, you are not alone - there is a large group of people who can directly relate to your experiences.
Myth 5: Social anxiety isn't real...just shyness.
Shyness happens. It's a normal feeling that people have on occasion, similar to anxiety, especially when they don't feel like being social or are in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable social setting.
Shyness is a personality trait. A shy person is more likely to develop a social anxiety disorder.
Still, shyness is not characterized by panic, extreme anxiety, or other symptoms that typically accompany an anxiety disorder.
"A person may be timid at first, but once they've had the opportunity to become more comfortable in a new social setting, they're able to overcome that initial feeling of shyness and become more sociable."
Social anxiety disorder is far more widespread than shyness. A person suffering from a social anxiety disorder is obsessed with the possibility of embarrassing themselves or appearing foolish in front of a group of people.
This fear develops into anxiety that is difficult to overcome; it may even persuade them to avoid social interactions or any situation in which they may be required to socialize entirely.
Social anxiety, as opposed to simple shyness, is a life-threatening condition.
Read about "Understanding General Anxiety Disorder".
When people with social anxiety are forced to interact with others, they experience significant mental anguish. This anxiety can even cause reactions such as anxiety attacks.
References:
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad/myths-realities
https://share.upmc.com/2020/05/myths-and-facts-about-anxiety/
